Star Wars: Twilight Blade(sample)
by Anonymaton
Summary: A Jedi Padawan winds up frozen in an old Clone Wars era base during Order 66, sending him on a journey through the cosmic Force to learn new abilities and rediscover an ancient legacy that he must take up.
1. Primer

**Ah, the sensation of being declared a year older.**

 **Creativity: How old are you?**

 **(SMACK)**

 **Creativity: ow…**

 **Author: Welcome everyone!**

 **So, a quick explanation as to what's going on here. Well, this is a reverse birthday gift!**

 **Creativity: You haven't explained anything yet.**

 **(SMACK)**

 **Creativity: ow… again…**

 **Author: I wasn't done yet.**

 **Now, continuing from before I was SO RUDELY interrupted, I am releasing a sampling of several stories I've been working on for some time. A few of them even dating back to my first BIG story New Dawn (A sorta Spider-Man story, more like Venom, more like not any, also happens to be in the midst of a complete from-the-ground-up rewrite, hello shameless self-promotion) so I have a definitive idea of what they look like.**

 **Anyway, one of these samplings will become my new story of focus once my current one (A Very Bad Idea) concludes in 2019. And the method of choosing is YOU. YES, YOU!**

 **Simply read the samplings and then go to my profile to cast your vote on the poll! We'll announce the results on February 3** **rd** **2019 (The day A Very Bad Idea resumes after break) so you can take your time.**

 **Alright, enough of my gums flapping! Turn the page, dear reader and let us present the sampling of Star Wars: Twilight Blade.**


	2. Ch1 (sample)

The Gathering. The event in which Jedi younglings travel to the ice world of Ilum to construct their own lightsabers. Today is such a day for a youngling named Ethnos, who while excited for the event, is one of the very few who know what they will face in the cave. Ethnos was eleven years old and the typical height for his age. he had shortish black hair and green eyes. He wasn't very talkative and always focused on the task at hand.

"Hey, you've been awfully quiet throughout the trip."

Ethnos turned his head to one of his only friend in the order: Alvya. Her brown eyes had a hint of concern. Alvya had been Ethnos' friend for as long as they could remember. They'd been there for each other during thick and thin.

Alvya was ten years old and about four feet five inches tall.

"I'm just nervous. This is a pivotal moment for us as Jedi."

Alvya sighed and turned away.

"Point. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous."

Ethnos absentmindedly levitated a small ball of wood up and down, side to side, etc. He often did that when he was out of it. That ball of wood was all he had to remember home. The Jedi council had never told him where they found him, but they did give him the ball of wood, saying that it was carved from a tree only found on the planet he was born on.

He was ten years old and was the typical height for his age, human, and had black hair with green, obsevant eyes.

Ethnos was brought back to reality when the pilot announced their arrival on Ilum. The younglings were escorted out of the ship, and across the frozen wasteland to the hidden entrance. The group gazed in awe at the splendor of the chamber within.

"Welcome, younglings. A great day for you, this is."

The younglings bowed to the master they had all at some point been taught by. Yoda sat on a flat piece of ice, calmly surveying the group in front of him. After a brief explanation of the trial they faced, he opened the path to the crystal caverns. The younglings quickly entered the cavern and came to a crossroads.

"We'll each have to take a different path." Alvya observed. Ethnos cast his eyes down a corridor. Something was beckoning him to go down that path. Everyone else was busy looking down their paths, so they didn't notice Ethnos walking down the most ominous of all the paths. After several long moments, they all went down their chosen corridors, towards the trials before them.

Alvya walked for some time. Her cave was very twisted and constantly slanted up or down. She past several crystals, but none of them really 'spoke' to her.

 _I'll bet it's waiting at the very end of the cave._

Then, she came to a grotto of sorts. Several crystals were imbedded in the ice. She cast her gaze around, inspecting them. Finally, her eyes came to rest on a blue crystal on the far side of the cave. This one seemed different. She began walked forward, but a voice in the back of her head was screaming that this was too easy.

Too right she was, for at that moment, the ice began to crack and break. She watched in horror as the pieces of ice all flew together and formed a goliath made of ice.

"I hate it when I'm right." She muttered as she hurled herself to the side to avoid being crushed.

* * *

Ethnos walked down a relatively straight path towards the heart of the cave.

"I have a feeling my trial is going to be the shortest and hardest." He murmered as he finally came to a large sloped room. At the far end was a strange looking contraption that had a strong pool of Force emanating from it. As he approached it, he realized what it was.

It was a crystal forge. He wouldn't be finding his saber crystal. He'd be making it. He sat down in a meditative postion and reached out to the Force. He felt the forge hum to life. He sank even deeper into meditation. The Force began to coalest into a rhombus shape. He breath was slow and measured. The process could take twenty four hours.

* * *

Alvya darted around the ice beast as it swung it's limb at her for the hundredth time. She was beginning to tire out. If she was unable to pass the trial, she would die or have to try again. Suddenly, it's other arm whipped around and smashed her into the wall. She had never known such pain. The beast lumbered towards her, a strange gutteral noise coming from it's throat. It was laughing at her.

Something changed in her. The fear and doubt vanished. Acceptance that she would die permeated her being. The Force began to gather around her hands. She stood up and released a Force blast, completely obliterating the creature. She was dumbfounded. Where had that come from?

Then she remembered that the crystal was waiting for her. She pried it from the ice and looked at it. It felt warm in her palm. She closed her hand and turned around, ready to leave this place, and hoping to high heaven that she never had to come back.

It took her half an hour to pick her way back through the winding tunnel back to the crossroads. She was the first one back. She looked down the paths that the others had taken and saw some of them returning. She leaned up against the icy wall and waited. She rubbed her hands together and tried to keep warm. She could feel the temperature slowly dropping.

One by one, the other younglings all returned from their caverns, all holding saber crystals. Everyone except Ethnos that is.

Alvya was getting anxious. There was only one hour left until the door froze over once more.

"Alvya, we have to go! We can't do anything for him if were trapped!" One of the younglings called to her. Alvya looked down Ethnos' path, then at the exit. She reluctantly turned away and closed her eyes.

"I will come back. I promise." She whispered to herself. She began to run to catch up with the others and made out short minutes before the entrance froze over.

"Ah, good to see you have retrieved your crystals, it is." Yoda said when he saw them.

"Master Yoda, one of is didn't make it out." One of the younglings called out. Yoda rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Hmmm. The path our lost youngling follows... unclear it is. Tomorrow, if the future remains clouded, enter I shall. Track down our missing youngling, I will."

Alvya sat with her back leaning against a pillar of ice. She felt broken. Ethnos had been her only friend in the order for as long as she could remember. He was as close to family as she would ever know. Yoda took notice of her behaviour. He hopped off his seat of ice and walked over to her side.

"Concerned you are, for you friend's wellbeing, yes?"

Alvya closed her eyes.

"Yes master."

Yoda closed his eyes and stretched out to the Force.

"A strong ripple in the Force, I sense. Powerful your friend is."

Alvya smiled.

"He doesn't come off as strong, not like other Jedi. But there is a strength to him."

"Hmmm. Maybe..." Yoda was silent.

"Master Yoda, is something wrong?"

Yoda shook his head.

"No. Nothing wrong. Wait, we must, until tomorrow."

Alvya lowered her head, wishing the Force be with Ethnos.

* * *

Ethnos had been sitting absolutely still for at least eight hours, forging his crystal. The rhombus had become more solid and taken on the color black. Then, it began to rotate to the left, revealing a second semi finished crystal behind it. The two crystals began to rotate around a small orbit, which had the physical appearance of a galaxy. They began to spin faster. Then, they stopped.

Ethnos opened his eyes, to see two crystals floating in front him. They were as dark as space. He reached out and felt his hand close around them. His crystals were forged. He had not intended to make two, but he guessed that the Force had guided him in his endeavor.

Alvya and master Yoda stood in front of the entrance to the caverns.

"The time is now." Yoda announced. Yoda prepared to break the ice to find Ethnos, though was surprised when the youngling was standing in front of the ice, looking chilled to the bone, but alive. A faint glow was emanating from his closed hand.

"A great trial, you have overcome. For you, hold great things, the future does."

Ethnos merely nodded his head and followed the rest of the younglings back to the ship. Once there, he immediately lay down in his bunk and fell asleep. Yoda and the Jedi chaperone met in private.

"What do you think made him take so long?"

"Hmmm. Powerful he is with the Force. Greater power means greater trials."

The two continued their discussion for some time. The other younglings, in the meantime, were describing the trials they had faced. Ethnos joined them a few hours later, after a well earned rest, but refused to tell them that while it was the most difficult, it was probably the most boring.


	3. Ch2(sample)

Ethnos glanced from side to side, his eyes keeping all of the droids in his sight.

This test to determine whether or not he was ready to advance to the status of Padawan was probably the most tedious of all of them so far. He was to defeat all the droids as fast as possible without getting hit. So far he had reduced several to scrap metal, but there was still plenty more.

He gripped his lightsabers harder, the black, abyssal blades humming with each movement. He was holding one of them backhand to act as defence, while the other did most of the work. Five droids advanced on him from all sides.

 _Time for a little surprise._

He slammed the hilts of his lightsabers together, creating one dual ended weapon. He began spinning it at a feverish speed, blocking the many hooked blows the droids were aiming at him. Several well placed spinning blows, and they were all sparking and collapsing to the ground. He seperated the two weapons and replaced them on his belt. He bowed to the examiners and left. The moment he left, Alvya jogged up to meet him.

"That was some fancy saberwork you pulled back there. Why wait on using the saberstaff?"

Ethnos gave a slight smile.

"I had to keep some things a secret didn't I?"

Alvya grinned and slapped her friend on the shoulder.

"Could you help me with practice? My trials are tomorrow and I could use the workout."

Ethnos nodded.

"One blade, or two?"

"One. More fun when it's even."

The two proceded to an unused sparring hall and took up their positions. Ethnos' black weapon hummed to life, moving fluidly through the air. Alvya ignited her own lightsaber, the blue blade slicing through the air in a few strokes to intimidate her opponent. The two slowly circled each other, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Then they charged.

 _spin, overhead slash, side cut, stab, block, block, block, backflip, spinning slash, slash, slash, cross cut, loop over head._

The fight lasted for about half an hour before they called it a draw. They'd been sparring with each other for as long as they could remember and knew exactly how the other fought. Whenever they were challenged to a two on two duel, no one could best them.

Ethnos gave his goodbyes and left to see his results. Alvya waited anxiously for him to walk out and tell her the results. After about five minutes he walked out.

"I've passed! I've been assigned to Master Evor Se!"

Alvya hurried to congratulate her friend. He was one step closer to become a Jedi. Master Evor Se was an aged human Jedi who had taught Padawans for years. He was an accomplished swordsman and had won many battles throughout the course of the Clone Wars. His greatest accomplishment in the war was personally defeating fifteen Magnaguards personally, and almost defeated General Grievous, before he escaped by detonating charges set on the platform they were dueling on.

Evor Se was waiting for him in the main foyer. His piercing green eyes studying his new Padawan carefully. Ethnos stepped forward and bowed.

"Greetings youngling, or should I call you Padawan now. As you know, I am Master Evor Se, and I am the one who shall complete your training as a Jedi."

"My name is Ethnos, master. I am honored to continue my training with a Jedi as powerful as yourself."

Evor Se laughed.

"Good manners, lad! You'll make a great Jedi one day!"

Evor and Ethnos spent the remainder of the day discussing what Ethnos would be learning from Ethnos.

"By this point, what your really obtaining from me is experience. Your going to learn about the wide world with me and learn how to use the knowledge you gain from it to good effect."

Ethnos merely bowed.

"I look forward to it master."

It is now the next day and Alvya is undertaking the test to graduate to the title of Padawan. She is nearing the end and is about to complete the trial of arms.

Alvya had her feet planted firmly on the ground. Sweat beaded her brow. She clutched her lightsaber in front of her as the last droid closed in. She leapt into the air and flipped, cleaving the droid's head clean in half. She landed gracefully and shut off her lightsaber. She bowed to the examiners and left.

She knew that Ethnos would not be able to see her after her trials due to the fact that he and his new master were aboard a Star Destroyer en route to Felucia. There were reports of an increase in dark side activity there.

A few minutes later, she was summoned to the examiners.

"We have decided that you are worthy to graduate to the title of Padawan. You will be assigned to master Marahl. She will meet you in the Foyer."

True to their word, master Marahl was waiting by the fountain in the foyer.

"Greetings padawan. I am master Marahl. I am looking forward to completing your training."

"Well met master. I am honored."

Marahl smiled at her new Padawan. She had a good feeling about her.

* * *

Ethnos stood on the bridge of the Star Destroyer overlooking Felucia. The planet that was normally so colourful was scarred by the battle on the surface. Even now, the momentary flashes of the artillary cannons firing dotted the view.

"Well, my young padawan, looks like we're diving straight into the action today."

Ethnos looked up at master Evor Se, nodding in acknowledgement. They were being deployed to assist Aayla Secura capture a separtist base on the planet surface and gain a foothold on Felucia.

"Get geared up and meet me in the hanger. I'll be waiting."

Ethnos left the bridge and pulled on his combat armor. It was light and flexible, allowing for quick movement and fast attacking, yet not sacrificing in defence. He clipped his lightsabers to his utility belt and quickly made his way through the Star Destroyer to the hanger. Master Evor Se was waiting for him beside a semi new star ship made to hold a crew of ten crew members and one droid. There was a group of eight elite clone troopers waiting for him as well as an R4 unit.

"Get ready bubs, we're going dirtside!"

The one who called out that comment was obviously the commander. He had the shoulder armor that indicated that as well as there air of a man who had lead others into battle for a long time. The rest of the troopers immediately snapped to attention.

"Sir yes sir!"

The leader gave a small groan and muttered something about sudden formality the moment Jedi showed up. Evor Se just subtly smirked.

"I'm sure you've figured out what's going on here right?" Evor Se whispered to Ethnos.

"Of course master." Ethnos responded with a tone that suggested amusement.

Half an hour later, they were on the surface and darting at wicked speeds through the jungles of Felucia. Ethnos was working with the scouts while Evor Se was bringing up the rear. Finally they reached the battle site. A small platoon of b-1s were marching by.

"Okay kid, lets see what you've got!" The lead trooper called to Ethnos.

 _Just watch me._ Ethnos thought to himself as he unclipped his lightsabers. Evor Se brought his hand down to initiate the attack.

Ethnos leapt into the air and hurtled downward towards the center of the platoon. The moment he hit the ground, he ignited his lightsabers and threw them in an orbit around him. The moment they returned to his hands, he began to whirl through the droids, cutting them down with the force of a maelstrom.

While Ethnos was busy fighting like a one man army, Evor Se and the clones had joined the fight, taking out the droids that didn't get obliterated by Ethnos' blades. Within minutes, the platoon was a pile of scrap metal.

"Well done boy. I've never seen anyone fight the way you did."

Ethnos smiled at his master's praise. The clone leader slapped him on the back.

"Well kid, I've seen some interesting things in my time, but that fighting you just did takes the cake."

Ethnos merely nodded in response.

"Not very talkative?"

"Nah, just focused."

The leader laughed.

"Don't think we've been properly introduced. The name's Sharpshot."

"Mine's Ethnos. Now less talking and more scrapping."

Sharpshot laughed.

"I like your attitude! Well then, start scrapping!"

The next few hours were a blur of motion as the small group decimated every droid in their path. After the fourth hour, the droids began retreating. After some time, they were gone. The group returned to the base, where they met up with Aayla Secura.

"Thank you for you assistance master Se. We have them on the run. Now we have to follow them to where they're running to and we're one step closer to winning the battle for Felucia."

Evor Se nodded his head.

"Indeed."

Aayla turned to thank the troops and noticed Ethnos.

"Ah, I forgot to introduce my new padawan. Master Secura, meet Ethnos. He was assigned to me a few days ago."

Aayla extended her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, padawan."

Ethnos shook her hand.

"It's an honor master Secura."

Aayla turned back to Evor Se.

"We need to move now. We can't give the droids time to regroup."

She turned to the clone commander next to her.

"Bly, get the men ready. We're moving out."

The clone trooper immediately left and began barking out orders to the other clones. Within the hour, they were on the move. Ethnos was hitching a ride on top of an AT-TE walker with Evor and Aayla. Aayla was busy contacting the bridge of a Star Destroyer to request reinforcments to assist in the seige. Finally, she got an answer.

"The Jedi Council has just informed us that they are sending more troops as well as two Jedi to assist in the fight. They'll be at your location within a day."

Aayla signed off and began to discuss strategy with Evor. Meanwhile, Ethnos was in a limbo between conciousness and meditation. He was absentmindedly levitating his ball of wood again. Evor and Aayla took notice of this and watched for some time. When Ethbos returned to reality, they decided to ask about it.

"Why do you have that ball with you. A keepsake, or trophy of some kind?" Aayla asked.

"Something to remind me of home, wherever it is." Ethnos replied, looking up at the stars. Evor noticed something in his voice. Mixed emotions. Sadness, curiousity, and more.

"You don't remember your old home?"

Ethnos shook his head.

"I was taken to the temple at around two years old if what I was told is true. I've frequently asked the council about it, but they just gave me the ball and said that the wood it's made of is from a tree that only grows on that planet."

Evor took a closer look at the wood. It wasn't anything special, nothing to indicate how it was unique.

"Maybe your travels as a Jedi will help you find your home." Aayla pointed out. Ethnos' fingers closed around the ball.

"I figure that too. But there's also something that bothers me. Why would the council want to withhold that knowledge from me? Is it so that it doesn't interfere with my training, or is there some dark secret behind it?"

The Jedi masters went silent. Ethnos was making a valid point. Why was the council restricting that knowledge from him?

Ethnos stretched his arms over his head and began shifting to a more comfortable position before he stopped dead in his tracks. He began to look around quickly, as if searching for something. His hand dropped to one of his lightsabers and finally spotted what he was looking for.

"Incoming!"

A squad of vulture droids was racing towards them, followed by a small pack of hyena bombers. Aayla reacted instantly.

"All troops and walkers, incoming enemy fighters! concentrate all fire on the bombers!"

The AT-TEs all began to shift their cannons to the oncoming threat. A hail of cannonfire erupted as both parties unleashed their first volleys of ammunition. Ethnos immediately began looking for some way to attack. His eyes came to rest on a trooper with a bag of magnetic charges.

"Give me some charges!" He yelled. The trooper tossed him two charges, which he then hurled through the air towards the vulture droids, using the Force to add extra accuracy and power. Both charges hit their marks and two vulture droids hit the dirt. Catching on to his strategy, the clones and the two Jedi began to throw the charges with deadly results. The combined power of the AT-TE walkers' cannons and the charges had left the enemy fighters in a massive scrap heap. Aayla marveled at the boy's creativity.

"Ingenious. I never would have thought to use the charges in that manner."

Ethnos merely bowed and began scanning the skies for more vulture droids. He had a feeling they were not out of this yet.

* * *

Alvya looked around the dropship was was crammed into, the red light casting eerie shadows along the wall. Master Marahl stood beside her, holding onto the supports on the ceiling of the drop ship. The ship rocked as cannon fire streaked past it. The Seperatists had known they were coming.

"I guess the Separtists have reserve artillary!" Marahl shouted. Alvya cursed under her breath. The Separtists alway had some sort of trick up their sleeve. For once, she wished that it was the other way around.

"We'll be on the ground in five seconds! Get ready to run!" The commander yelled. Alvya mentally counted down.

 _5...4...3...2...1...Go!_

The doors slid back and the troopers rushed out. Alvya and Marahl jumped out and ignited their lightsabers, spinning them in a whirlwind of motion to deflect the fire from droid snipers.

"Commander, get those artillary cannons offline!" Marahl shouted to the clone commander.

"You heard the general! Move move move!"

The clones charged forward, gunning down the droids with deadly precision. Marahl and Alvya ran on either side of the group, deflecting blaster fire with ease. Once they were nearing the first line, Alvya leapt into the air, performed a somersault, and landed atop a B-2 battle droid. She wasted no time cutting off both it's arms and leaping into the fray, cutting down droids left and right.

On the other side of the clones, Marahl was locked in a duel with three Magnaguards. She spun her saber at a feverish pace, keeping the electrostaffs at a distance. Finally, she managed to decapicate one of them, yanked it's staff from it's hands, and hurled it straight through the chest of the second guard. She whirled around and blocked an overhead blow with a horizontal block, trying to push it off balance. Suddenly, a blue blade emerged from the droid's chest, and withdrew. the droid collapsed with Alvya in it's place.

"Get clear!"

Both Jedi turned a he sound of the clone commander's bellow as he leapt clear of several artillary cannons, short seconds before they were transformed into fireballs. Alvya covered her eyes as the cannons were reduced to bits of molten metal.

Marahl carefully uncovered her eyes and smiled. The artillary cannons and the ground troops were destroyed. She turned to her padawan.

"Well done."

Alvya smiled at the praise, then noticed something off in the distance.

"Look!"

The troopers turned and saw the contigent of Republic troops they had been sent to back up approaching. Alvya grinned. Standing atop one of the cannons of the walkers was Ethnos.

Ethnos stood balanced atop the cannon, patiently waiting for them to stop and let their reinforcements aboard. Alvya did a massive leap aboard the walker that Aayla, Evor Se and Ethnos were currently situated upon and was quickly joined by Marahl.

"Glad to see you and your men survived master Marahl. We'll be needing you and them before long."

Marahl bowed.

"Glad to be of service master Secura. You to master Se."

The three Jedi began to give details on the forces that they had at their disposal. In the meantime, Ethnos and Alvya were busy catching up with eachother.

"Sorry I couldn't be there for the trials, but well... you know." Ethnos motioned to the massive force behind them.

"It's cool. Seems you and master Se are getting along."

"It's certainly been interesting."

The two talked for a while, then Ethnos climbed back to where he had been when they had met up. He sat down and gazed off into the distance. Alvya noted something. His eyes seemed to be focused on something that wasn't there. It worried her. It usually meant something was troubling him, and the more focused he was, then the more troubled he was.

Ethnos closed his eyes, trying to figure out what that image he had seen was. It terrifying. A solid black metal mask that was practically bathed in the dark side. He saw a flash of red and the Jedi temple burning. He could see the fear on the younglings' faces as their home burned and as blaster fire killed their friends and mentors

 _What does it mean?_ He asked himself. As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, he had a grim feeling that he was going to find out soon.


	4. Ch3(sample)

The Separtist tactical droid scanned the landscape before it with a pair of macrobinoculars. The Republic contigent was approaching faster than antissipated. They would be here within two hours.

"Tell all units to prepare for siege. All heavy cannons must be brought online at once." The droid commanded in an emotionless voice.

"Roger roger."

The droids all began rushing about to prepare for the siege at hand. The tactical droid opened a holo communicator and a blurry image appeared.

"My lord, Republic forces are inbound. I calculate our chances of victory to be 264 to 1."

A dark voice answered.

"You have failed me droid. This is the last fortress you will ever command. After you have fallen, new troops will arrive to take your place, as well as a new commander. A warrior as opposed to your incompetent scrapheap."

The holoprojector shut down and the droid turned to the Republic army approaching.

"Sir, all artillary cannons are ready to fire."

"Fire at will."

"Roger roger."

The droid forces unleashed a barrage of heavy fire, which the Republic forces reponded to with the AT-TEs heavy cannons. The five Jedi leapt off the walkers and began to sprint towards the outpost, lightsabers in hand. Aayla took the lead, performing a flying leap onto the top of the wall, where she proceded to cut down any droids in her path in an amazing display of swordsmanship.

Alvya leapt into the air and was quickly followed by Ethnos. He used the force to propel her onto the wall and then used his lightsabers to scale the rest of the wall. Once over, he leapt to the ground on the inside, combined his sabers into a saberstaff and began to whirl through the ranks of droids, leaving only wreckage in his wake.

Meanwhile, masters Evor Se and Marahl were busy disabling the gates so that the Republic forces could storm the place.

"I'm almost through." Marahl muttered through clenched teeth. Evor guarded her, using his lightsaber and her's to deflect and reflect all the blaster fire that was incoming.

"Done!" She shouted. She leapt over Evor's head as he tossed her lightsaber straight up. She caught in mid flip and began to cut down more droids.

After a short half hour, the droids had been completely scrapped and the fortress was the Republic's. The troops yelled in victory and the Jedi stood proudly atop the fortress walls. Suddenly, Ethnos felt a surge in the Force. Once again, the dark mask haunted him, more vividly than ever. He shuddered. A darkness was approaching.

It is three days later. Aayla Secura is on a scouting mission to find another outpost for the Republic to take. Ethnos and Alvya were sparring with fists in the courtyard of the fortress, while Evor and Marahl discussed the next move with Sharpshot.

"Aayla sent back a transmission of what she has found. So far, that droid outpost is completely invisible. We'll have to wait until they get back and can give us a full account of what we need to prepare for."

Evor and Marahl both examined the data.

"We'll just have to be patient and wait for Aayla to get back."

The Jedi gave their leave and returned to the courtyard. Ethnos and Alvya had finally called it a draw. They both were sitting up against the walls of the fortress, completely exhausted.

"You know, if you two keep this up, you'll beat either each other to pulps, or slice each other into ribbons." Marahl commented. Alvya wiped some sweat from her brow.

"Hey, it's a good workout. Besides, we've got nothing better to do right now."

Ethnos simply took a long draught of water from his canteen, and poured some over his head. Suddenly, Ethnos felt a surge in the Force. A vision tore through their minds. A single image. Aayla Secura, lying face down on the ground with blaster burns on her back. A dark shadow covered his vision and the sound of an omnious respirator filled his ears.

He snapped back to reality short seconds later. He quiclkly filled them in. The vision left them all rattled.

"We better contact her and warn her immediately." Evor said as he and Marahl both rushed towards the comms. They reached the platform and saw Sharpshot and more clones looking at the holoprojector. A robed man was being projected. They walked up to hear what the man was saying.

"...cute Order 66."

The troopers turned around, saw the Jedi and immediately opened fire. Only a split second's warning allowed them to draw their lightsabers and block the onslaught.

"Troopers! Stand down!" Marahl yelled over the din of their lightsabers and the trooper's blaster fire. The troopers merely began to walk forward, firing even more. Evor Se suddenly thrust his hand forward, using the Force to push the troopers backward. Both Jedi jumped from the wall and ran for the entrance.

"Both of you, move!"

Ethnos and Alvya had already jumped up when they heard the sound of blaster fire, so they wasted no time sprinting out the gates and into the thick forests, blue blaster bolts hurtling passed them. They continued to leap and duck through the foliage, trusting the Force to guide and protect them.

"Why are the troopers shooting at us?! Ethnos yelled as he vaulted a rock.

"All I know is that it has something to do with 'Order 66'!" Evor called back. The four Jedi continued their sprint into the jungle, unaware that a great darkness was hunting them.

The clones patrolled the fortress walls, waiting for the new commander of the fortress. It had been several days since the Jedi had escaped. Search parties had seen them but a few times, and never within firing distance.

Suddenly, the sound of an engine overhead alerted them. A large black transport suddenly appeared from the clouds and set down in the courtyard. The troopers immediately assembled in two lines on either side of the boarding ramp, Steam hissed from the ramp as it lowered.

A tall humanoid creature walked slowly down the ramp, the clang of metal against metal audible to all ears in the line. A figure in a Sith robe stepped to the ground. Followed behind him were four guards in orange armor with black visors. Clutched in their hands were staffs tipped with vibroblades. Sharpshot saluted the new arrival.

"Sir, the Jedi have escaped into the jungle, last seen heading east. I've put together search parties to use at your disposal."

The hood of the robe shifted.

"Very good commander. Begin the search. I have my own devices to prepare."

Sharpshot saluted once more and began to deploy the search parties. The new arrival walked back into the ship and activated a custom speeder bike. He smirked under his robe. He was hunting Jedi once again.

Ethnos leaned up against a tree, taking deep breaths. The other Jedi with him followed suit.

"We can't keep running forever! we have to get off world!"

Evor shook his head.

"The only ship I can think of that we can use is the transport we came here in, and that's a quarter of a way around the planet!"

Ethnos groaned. His legs were killing him. They only stopped for a few hours at the most, and even then, they had to keep watch.

"We just need some sort of speeder, or other means of transportation. I would suggest borrowing a few Rancors from the Felucians, but I don't think they'll be too accomodating and it would be too obvious."

The others nodded in agreement. Suddenly, they heard a high pitched whine. Cold dread filled them all. It was a speeder bike. Suddenly, the bike shot out of the jungle and the rider leapt off of it to the ground. He produced a lightsaber from within the folds of his robe and ignited it, revealing twin, crimson blades.

Evor Se and Marahl immediately ignited their own weapons and began to duel.

"Run!" Evor shouted over the furious din of the lightsabers. Ethnos and Alvya both leapt into the forest and began sprinting for dear life. Ethnos knew that they were actually going in the same direction they had come from their ship. If they could keep up the pace and not get caught, just maybe they could get to the ship.

"Whatever you do, don't stop running! he shouted. They had been travelling in the right direction for three days now. The pace they had set would have brought them maybe a few hours away from the ship, provided it was still there. He had kept the information a secret in case a probe droid was watching them.

They kept running. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a speeder bike closing in. The force surged and Ethnos leapt into the air, dodging the blaster shot. Alvya wasn't so lucky.

"ARGH!"

She dropped to the ground, holding her leg. The blaster shot didn't hit anything major, but was still serious. Ethnos instinctively yanked one of his lightsabers from his belt and hurled it at the speeder. It cut the trooper clean in half and sent the speeder careening into a rock. Ethnos raised his hand and caught the lightsaber as it spun back into his hand. He pulled the second one from his belt and took up a defensive stance.

Almost instantly, two of the orange clad guards appeared. They leapt from their bikes and began to spin their weapons like dervishes. Ethnos waited patiently for them to get close, then stabbed the first one before he could react and use the Force to throw the second against a tree so hard, he went clean through it. He cast his gaze around, looking for more enemies.

A dark chuckle floated through the air. The Dark Side filled the area. The unnamed Sith stepped out of the foliage, holding his weapon at his side. The familiar snap-hiss of the blades igniting cut the chuckling. The Sith spun the weapon in front of him, clearly confident in his victory. The blades of both master Evor Se and Marahl were belted at his side. Ethnos hurled one of his weapons at him, but he effortlessly knocked it aside and charged.

 _Overhead block, side block, downward block, counterswing, overhead loop, dodge, dodge, dodge, backhand slice, spin, parry, thrust._

The fight lasted for what felt like hours, and Ethnos could tell he was losing. Little by little, he was giving ground. The Sith smirked under his hood. Ethnos needed a plan fast. He needed his other lightsaber.

It was nearby, but the Sith wasn't allowing him time to recall it.

 _Time to try something crazy._

Ethnos made a surprise duck and instantly used the Force to hurl the Sith across the clearing. He immediately extended his hand and felt his lightsaber return to his hand. He ignited it and turned back to his opponent. His hood had fallen off when he pushed him back, revealing him to be of the Zabrak species. Suddenly, Ethnos felt his blood run cold. This was no mere Sith warrior or Inquisitor. This was a Sith who had defied Death himself and had survived the most fatal wound imaginable.

This was the former Sith apprentice, Darth Maul.

Maul stood up and snarled. He spun his lightsaber in a display of skill and ferocity before charging forward and unleashing a furious onslaught. But while Ethnos was still on the defensive, he now had both his weapons and was more than capable with them. After several more attacks, he remembered something.

Maul was only half biological, thus his metal legs were not as dense as bone. Apply enough pressure and something major would have to give.

Maul however had other plans. He began to strike with every ounce of strength he had, thus rendering any attemptes to concentrate non-existant. However, after about thirteen blows, Ethnos brought both weapons in a downward strike on either side of Maul's head. Maul leaned back to dodge, but unfortunately didn't get his lightsaber out of the way.

This resulted in one of Maul's blades being useless. Maul looked at the weapon for a second, then spun his remaining half in a wide arc at Ethnos' head. Ethnos responded by leaning back and letting the blade pass over him before throwing his left saber at Maul's midsection. Maul jumped sideways to dodge, but lost his belt. Ethnos immediately used the force to retrieve the stolen lightsabers.

Maul wasn't done though. He rolled to his feet, reactivated his lightsaber and pressed a button on his gauntlet. Then he reached onto his back and pulled something from a holster. It was the lightsaber that Maul had taken from a Mandolorian ruler some time ago. He growled like an animal before charging. Ethnos combined his lightsabers into his saberstaff and began to block Maul's frenzied attack with newfound vigor.

Then Maul's reinforcements showed up. There were more sunguards and several clone squads with him. Two of the sunguards grabbed Alvya's prone form and dragged her away. Ethnos suddenly realized that he was between a rock and a hard place. Maul had just played his wild card. With Alvya, he had a hostage, so he could force Ethnos to give himself up, or if he got away, he had something to present to his master. Suddenly he felt the force surge. It was obvious Maul felt it too. The reason became clear in a few seconds.

A murderous roar broke the din of the duel, followed by the sound of something charging their way. Moments later, several Rancors led by a Bull Rancor broke into the clearing followed by a small army of Felucians. The clones and guards were taken by surprise. Ethnos took the chance and performed a series of leaps and bounds after the sunguards that had Alvya. unfortunately they were already almost up the boarding ramp. Alvya was trying to break free, but they had taken her lightsaber and were simply to strong for her, wounded as she was.

Ethnos charged for the craft, extending his hand in an attempt to use the force to slow down the craft. There was no such luck. The guard noticed and fired a blaster pistol at him, forcing him to stop and block the shot. Alvya took the lack of concentration to grab her lightsaber and slash him across the middle, but was then knocked unconcious by the other guard. Her lightsaber fell from her hand, towards the ground, but was instead caught by Ethnos. Then he heard a wild bellow from behind him.

Maul was charging at him, both lightsabers raised to strike. Ethnos quickly thrust both hands forward, causing a surge of small rocks to hurtle towards Maul. He then quickly spun and bolted for his ship. Maul roared in fury and hurled his secondary weapon at him in a fit of rage. Ethnos sensed it coming and rolled in time to dodge it. Ethnos immediately stopped, spun around, and used the force to crush one of Darth Maul's robotic feet. By this point, some of the clones took notice of him bolting for his ship. The turned to fire, but Ethnos was already up the boarding ramp and out of danger.

"R-4, prime the engines. we're leaving."

The astromech immediately set to work. While it made the final preparation, it let out a few whistles and beeps.

"They're gone R-4. We can't stay here."

The droid chirped back a response and got the ship into the air.

"I could do without the sarcasm or the wittiness right now, thank you very much." Ethnos grumbled under his breath. The ship raised off the ground and Ethnos maneuvered it into space. R-4 let out a series of clicks and whistles.

"I don't care. Just find us some place out of the way."

R-4 whistled a response and set the coords. A few short seconds later, they entered hyperspace.

On Corusaunt, Darth Vader stood next to his master, Sidious.

"I have felt something lord Vader. Maul has failed."

Vader stared off into the distance.

"He is a great warrior but arrogant. He has yet to learn the meaning of patience."

"Yes, indeed. I trained him well when he fought Kenobi, but his impatience was his undoing. He was proud, and pride is what destroyed the Sith before Darth Bane renewed it."

Vader said nothing, choosing to listen to his master, to learn from him.

"You are to train a group of hunters, Lord Vader. Hunters of Jedi. You must be relentless in your pursuit of them, or they will renew their order and become a threat to all we have built. I have already found who you will train. All must learn the ways of the Dark Side, or they will fail. Oh, and deal with Maul as well."

Vader nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yes, my master."

* * *

The first thing Ethnos noted when the ship pulled out of hyperspace was that the planetoid they were staring at was very white. He checked the coordinates and found that the planetoid was called Orto Plutonia. It was a remote planet who's only known inhabitants were a tribe of Talz. It was also home to both seprartist and Republic bases, but it's remoteness coupled with its almost constant snow storms discouraged many from visiting if they could help it.

That however, didn't help as they were immediately hailed from an unknown location designated as "sub-zero". _Creative name,_ Ethnos thought as told R4 to answer with garbled static. Then he heard fighters approaching.

"You are ordered to land at these coordinates for inspection. If you do not comply, we are authorized to open fire."

Ethnos cursed under his breath and adjusted his course towards the coordinates. This wasn't going to end without a fight. He grabbed a cloak and threw it on while concealing his lightsabers in the sleeves. He also fashioned a crude harness with slots on the back to hide the other sabers he was carrying and grabbed a comm unit. After slipping it on underneath his cloak, he slipped into a shadowy corner of the departure hall while R4 lowered the ramp. He remained absolutely still as troopers marched past him and into the ship. He immediately stole past them and flipped himself under the ramp, using the force to assist him. From there, he darted past the officers and other troopers into the hanger and force leapt up and out of sight. Once he had a safe place to hide in, he began examining the were massive tanks lining one side of the wall that had large hoses attached to the top and anti-ship batteries on the corners of the landing platform. There wasn't enough clone troopers for this to be a military base, but there was still enough security to indicate they were protecting something. Then it hit him. This was a mining operation. But what were they mining?

A sudden movement caught Ethnos' eye. He kept perfectly still and watched through his perepheral vision. It was an officer, looking rather panicked and ranting about another "reaction". Ethnos crept closer and began eavsdropping.

"Sir, we've lost six men this time! The coolant is simply to volatile to remove right now!"

So they were mining some sort of natural coolant. That would explain the tanks. There must be a massive deposit of this new coolant that they were extracting, but something kept happening, causing workers to die.

Well now Ethnos knew what was going on, but how was he going to escape. Even out here, Jedi would be attacked by the clones. He couldn't leave in his ship without getting shot out of the sky, leaving R4 behind was an absolute no, he didn't have many options. But his luck wasn't going to improve.

Ethnos decided to chance a leap to another hiding spot, but as it turned out, there was a mouse droid right where he landed. The droid immediately made a massive ruckus and took off like a rocket. Immediately, guns were pointed at Ethnos. He cursed again as several clones opened fire. Ethnos immediately swung his hands out and called his lightsabers to him from the folds of his cloak. He combined them into his saberstaff and began spinning it like a madman. He leapt and dodged, rolling and twisting, but no matter how many bolts he deflected back at the troopers, felling them, two more stepped forward. Then a transport with tanks of coolant entered the room. Ethnos accidentally sent a bolt flying into a canister, causing it to blow up and coolant to fly everywhere. However, the moment the coolant was free, it froze upon contact with the air. Ethnos suddenly became very wary. If just one of the massive tanks ruptured, the entire hanger could be frozen. In a last resort, Ethnos unleashed a force pulse, knocking everyone off their feet while he leapt straight up and into the rafters of the hanger.

The were closing the hanger doors. Ethnos immediately pulled out his comm unit and called R4.

"Listen, I don't have any idea how we're getting out of here, so hang tight. I'll try to come up with a plan to escape."

No sooner had Ethnos signed off when he suddenly felt like his brain had grown multiple metal spikes and was trying to escape his skull. He saw the black mask again, the most realistic yet. He suddenly saw himself, still as a statue, almost like he was asleep. He could hear the roar of a wave, feel bone chilling cold followed by blistering heat. He saw a figure in a hood, a crimson bladed lightsaber held above their head. Then he saw black followed by the sound of glass breaking. And then it was gone. He was back in reality. He shuddered and took another look around the room. He needed a way out.

Ethnos closed his eyes. He needed to think. The coolant put a major obstacle in his way. If there was a single hole poked in the coolant tank, the whole thing could burst and freeze everyone in the facility, including him. He needed to get out of the hanger. His ship was still on the platform. If he could get out without getting caught, he might be able to escape. First though, he had to deal with the fact that his ship was probably under heavy guard and his only means of escape was blocked off. He still hadn't figured out how to deal with the batteries either. His only resources were the Force, his mind and his lightsabers, but those where notgoing to get him out of here. He needed a distraction. A big one. Then he had an idea.

Several workers were carrying crates of mining explosives towards the mining tunnel. He didn't understand why they would be using explosives when the coolant was so volatile, but he knew exactly what he could do with them.

Ethnos darted into a corner and used the Force to remove several of the explosives from one of the crates and shifted back into a different set of shadows. Step one was complete, now for step two. He used the rafters to get to the far side of the room but waited up high. Calling on the Force, Ethnos levitated the explosives up and threw them at the main entrance to the mine. The moment they connected and detonated he tossed one of the lightsabers from his harness into the smoke. From there, he used the Force to activate the saber and levitate it in such a way that it looked like it had a wielder. By this point, every blaster was pointed at the glowing blue blade. Ethnos dropped silently to the ground and began to edge his way towards the hanger entrance while making the lightsaber spin and twirl to make keep his ruse convincing. He had just barely made it to the door controls before the smoke had cleared and everyone saw the floating lightsaber. The Force flared bare moments before the first trooper turned and fired a potential kill shot. Ethnos whirled backwards and called the lightsaber back to his hand before dashing towards the coolant tanks, hoping beyond hope that they held their fire in fear of rupturing the coolant tanks. surprising as it was, they actually did stop, for a moment. Seconds later they switched to stun blasts, which Ethnos began to violently curse himself for forgetting about.

Ethnos drew his saberstaff and began spinning it in one hand while switching the blue lightsaber to a reverse grip in his other hand. He twisted and twirled, dove and spun, becoming a blur of motion as he deflected the stun shots away from him, but he was exhausted. He had burned through much of his stamina during the first time they spotted him and now he was running on fumes.

Then everything went wrong. A stun blast struck his off hand, sending the blue lightsaber hurtling off in the direction of a coolant cell. Before Ethnos could to react, the blade pierced the metal cylinder and everyone stopped. Seconds later the cell exploded, sending the rapidly freezing coolant flying everywhere. Ethnos turned and began sprinting towards the door. He could hear the sound of troopers, officers and workers alike shrieking and screaming as the wave of ice consumed them. Wort of all, the force of the rupture had damaged the other containment units, causing them to also rupture. Ethnos looked ahead and closed his eyes. Everything seemed to slow down.

"No way out."

Ethnos turned towards the wave just before it struck, sending him reeling backwards before he froze, completely incased by ice.


	5. Ch4(sample)

**So, I liked the first couple of chapters I wrote, but I reworked the third one slightly and scrapped four and five in favour of doing this. The space station was just sort of blah. Anyway, I think this will be better. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Is this death?"

Ethnos slowly opened his eyes. He felt weightless. Everything seemed to echo around him. His vision adjusted and he observed his surroundings. He was in a misty swamp. Several flying creatures darted past him, seemingly taking no notice of him. Then he looked down to discover that he was floating in midair and that his entire form seemed to have a bright yellow glow. Ethnos immediately panicked, swinging his head from side to side. What was happening?!

"Hmm? What disturbs the Force?"

Ethnos immediatelt froze and felt as though a heavy weight had just been dropped on him. He would know that voice anywhere.

"Master Yoda?! Where are you?! I need help!"

He turned and saw the grand master of the Jedi order sitting on a log, not to far from him.

"Who are you , hmm? Familiar, you seem to me."

"Master, is it really you? I don't know what happened to me! I remember a wave, feeling cold, then I woke up here!"

"Strange, but answer my question, you did not."

"I'm Ethnos. I've was a padawan for about a week before the clones gunned down my master and my friend's master. They took my friend captive! What happened?!"

Yoda looked very sad.

"Hmm. The Force, strong with you it is. Not the living Force, however. Still there it is, but only faintly."

"Master, I don't understand. What are you saying."

"You're body, in hibernation it appears to be. Frozen, perhaps."

Ethnos felt his heart plummet as he realized what had happened.

"The coolant. That new coolant they were mining. The canisters blew and I got frozen inside. I'm as good as dead."

Yoda shook his head disapprovingly.

"The code, remember it, yes? There is no death, there is the Force."

Ethnos rolled his eyes.

"Like the code will get me out of this."

Yoda bowed his head.

"Help you, I cannot. Exiled I am, and without a ship."

Ethan threw his hands in the air.

"Great! Well what am I supposed to do like this!?"

Yoda closed his eyes.

"Trust in the force, you must. A path I sense, you must walk. But caution, you must have. A path for you alone, it is."

Ethnos nodded and closed his eyes.

"Okay. Now, how do I move around like this."

Yoda smiled a little at his question.

"Listen to the Force. Guide you, it will."

Ethnos nodded again and closed his eyes, reaching out to the force. He could sense something, pulling him. He needed to follow it.

Almost immediately, he floated forward and seemingly vanished from thin air. Yoda's face fell. The padawan had a long, hard road ahead of him. One that could break him in two.

Ethnos continued following the pull of the Force. Looking around, it looked like he was floating through space, if not for occasional splashes of colour that disappated quickly. Soon however, he reached what appeared to be a large grassy plain. He could see spires of rock rising out of the ground and what appeared to be a massive cluster of dark stone off in the distance that appeared to have been rended by a volcanic eruption.

"Where am I?"

"You are where all Force sensitive come when they reach a connection to the force only found in passing. It is remarkable that you are here at all. The living Force still burns in you, my apprentice. I'm sorry of the fate you endured on Orto Plutonia"

Ethnos froze and felt tears forming in his eyes. He knew that voice.

"Master?"

He turned and saw that Evor Se was indeed standing behind him, looking as alive as he had before Maul got to him. He smiled sadly.

"Do not mistake me for being alive. I am not. As I just said, this is where all Force sensitive come when they pass from the galaxy. This is the cosmic Force. It is an infinite place. Many other Force users already wander these plains. The more ancient ones reside in the dark gorge, away from those who have come before."

Ethnos looked off in the direction that Evor Se was pointing in. He could feel the Force pulling him there.

"Do you feel it?"

Evor Se looked at him curiously.

"Feel what?"

"The pull. The Force is pulling me to the gorge."

Evor Se shook his head.

"No, I do not. Perhaps that is why you found your way here. One who is still connected to the living Force should not be able to come here. Perhaps it is no accident that you were frozen. perhaps the Force brought you to the absolute brink of death so as to allow you entry here."

Ethnos turned and started running through the tall grass towards the gorge. It actually took much less time than he thought it would. Evor Se did say that this place was infinite. If this place really was composed of the cosmic Force, perhaps it made travel from one place to another much faster.

He reached the gorge quickly and looked at the entrance. It was indeed forboding, as if the Force was warning him to stay away. Still, he could feel the pull of the Force much stronger here. He was close.

He walked in, his hands instinctively reaching for his lightsabers, only to find them missing from his person. It made sense, but it still made him feel much more concerned for his wellbeing, as poor as it was at the moment.

"Who are you?"

He turned to see a man with long brown and a beard to match, wearing a jedi robe.

"My name is Ethnos, Jedi padawan. The Force has guided me here. For what purpose, I do not know."

The man walked over to a nearby boulder and sat down.

"The Force would only guide one of the living to this place for one purpose. To learn. My name is Qui Gon Jinn."

Ethnos felt his back straighten.

"You taught Master Obi Wan Kenobi and fought Darth Maul!"

Qui Gon smiled a little.

"I have kept an eye on my former apprentice ever since my death. But enough about me. How does one with a continued connection to the living Force come to be in this gorge?"

Ethnos took his own seat.

"I was trying to escape a mining facility where they were extracting some sort of new coolant for starships. The coolant ruptured and froze me, forcing my body into a state of hibernation."

Qui Gon stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"So, you are standing on the line between life and death. As I said before, the Force would only bring a living soul here to learn from those who came before. Both the light and dark."

Ethnos suddenly felt apprehensive.

"The dark side? Suddenly I'm not so sure about this."

Qui Gon sighed.

"Understandable. Here, there is no light or dark side of the Force. So, one cannot learn one without the other."

Qui Gon stood up and motioned for Ethnos to follow.

"The one's who will guide you on your first steps are deep within the gorge. I can guide you a portion of the way, but you must take the first step once we reach the entrance to the domain."

Ethnos stood up and began to follow.

"Whose domain?"

"The domain of the ancient Bendu."

Qui Gon explained as they walked the the Bendu were Force sensitive monks who trained in both the light and dark side of the Force. They were among the only one's to do so, other than the legendary Jedi/Sith Revan, who mastered both the dark side and the light in preparation for the return of the Sith. The travel, much like the travel to the gorge was much faster than it would have been in the real world. Soon, they reached a place where the Gorge deepened dramatically and widened out. Qui Gon stopped.

"I cannot accompany you further. The rest is up to you."

Ethnos nodded and turned to face the deepened gorge. He took a deep breath and began to climb down. The light from above became sparcer and sparcer as he climbed down through the black rock. Soon, there were only small pinpricks of light to help him find his way.

Soon, he felt his feet reach solid ground. Or rather it felt like solid ground. He could barely see with the small amount of light filtering through from above him. He reached out with the force, only to find gaps in his vision. He could only see brief pockets in front of him. It was rather frightening. He had always been able to rely on the Force to navigate the world around him, even when his other senses told him otherwise. To not be able to use it like any of his other senses made him feel vulnerable in a way that he had never felt before.

began to walk cautiously. His eyes were adapting to the absence of light ever so slowly. He could at least make out the ground beneath him. He tried reaching out with the Force and found it to be a little more clear, but it was still very difficult, if not impossible to sense things outside of the small pockets he could sense.

He looked out into the darkness and vaguely made out a shape moving through the darkness.

"Hey, hold up! Can you help me? I'm looking for someone!"

The figure paused and turned to Ethnos as he jogged over to him.

"I would say that you have indeed found someone. Perhaps though, you are looking for someone else?"

"The Force brought me here to learn the ways of the dark and the light. I was told that to do so, I would need to find the Bendu and that they reside in this part of the gorge."

"Hmm, could you not simply find them with your connection to the Force?"

Ethnos shook his head.

"I've been trying. I can only see in small scattered islands. Everything else in between is either like looking through a nebula or appears to not exist at all."

The figure shook their head.

"You connection to the Force is imbalanced. You must stop thinking of the Force as light and dark and begin to see it as it is. As simply the Force."

Ethnos pondered what the stranger had just said before coming to a realization.

"You are a Bendu."

The stranger nodded.

"Indeed so. Though I am afraid I, nor any other Bendu am able to help you. You must learn this yourself."

Ethnos looked shocked.

"But why? I thought that Bendu practiced a balance between the light and dark side?"

The Bendu shook his head.

"Not in the way that many persieve. Perhaps I should have phrased it better. We cannot teach you the powers of the light or dark side, but we can give you the knowledge to learn them from others. The Force brought you here for a destiny that has not been claimed by any since the Ashla and Bogan first clashed."

Ethnos tilted his head a little.

"I don't understand."

The Bendu motioned for Ethnos to sit before sitting themselves.

"The Sith wield the the Bogan and have discovered many powers from it. So too have the Jedi from the Ashla. The Bendu practice a harmony between both. Your destiny lies in a convergence of all three. One who forges great power from the living and Cosmic force."

Ethnos shook his head.

"One step at a time. Is there anything you can teach me?"

The Bendu smiled under their hood.

"I believe that I have already told you what you must do first. The first step. You must learn to see the Force in it's entirety, not just the light."

Ethnos nodded.

"How do I do so?"

The Bendu smiled a little.

"I don't know. How do you?"

Ethnos shook his head.

"I don't know. Can you at least point me in a direction?"

The Bendu folded their hands over their lap.

" _Once there was a man who lived in a forest. He would spend his days searching for food and repairing his home. However, when night fell, he would close all his doors and windows and wait for day to come so he could go outside and search for food and repair his home again. One day, he ventured to far from his home and became lost. The night came and the man became afraid. He tried to find his way home, but he could not find it. The man's fear began to consume him and he shut his eyes to escape the night. Then he heard a whisper in his ear._

 _"Why do you shut your eyes?"_

 _"Because it is night and I am afraid."_

 _"Why are you afraid?"_

 _"Because I cannot see at night. I cannot see danger that may prey upon me."_

 _"You can see. You just have never tried."_

 _The man was confused._

 _"Open your eyes, and see the night."_

 _The man opened his eyes and saw the night in front of him. As he looked, it became clearer. He turned to see jungle cat, standing behind him. Yet, he felt no fear._

 _"Why are you not afraid?"_

 _"Because I can see, so there is nothing to fear."_

 _The cat returned to the forest and the man found his home. From that day on, he was never afraid of the dark again."_

Ethnos pondered the story that the Bendu had told him. It was fairly obvious what the lesson in the story was. Once you could see something, you wouldn't be afraid of it. But what did it mean by see?

The Bendu seemed amused by Ethnos' inner struggle to understand what the story meant by seeing.

To Ethnos, the night was obviously the dark side of the Force. He was the man in the story, and the Bendu was the jungle cat. So, what was he supposed to see. See the dark side of the Force.

The Bendu posed a question.

"Perhaps this will help. What makes light and dark so different?"

Ethnos was bewildered by such a simple question until he actually stopped to think about it. The weren't. Not when you really considered it outside of the Jedi perspective. Both were aspects of the Force that one controlled.

Ethnos reached into the Force again, to find that his vision was more clear, but not there yet.

"I sense that you have come to the answer. I have nothing more to teach. Continue onward. Your next lesson awaits."

* * *

 **This is also part of the master plan. READ IT!**


	6. Ch5(sample)

**More Force adventures!**

 **Creativity: Yeah! This is gonna be awesome!**

 **Author: So it is! Also, Rogue one looks really good! (Haven't seen it as of this writing)**

 **Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying this take on Star Wars. I've loved these movies since I first saw 4,5 and 6. I agree that the prequels arent anywhere near as good as the originals, but I believe people jump on them a bit too hard, just because they didn't devote themselves slavishly to original trilogy fanservice. 2 was utter crap, except for Yoda dueling, but I thought that 1 and 3 were halfway decent.**

 **God, am I going to be internet piled on for this. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Ethnos delved deeper into the Bendu Gorge, as he had dubbed it. Ever since his encounter with that first Bendu, he hadn't come across anyone at all. He occasionally took the time to meditate on what he had learned from the Bendu, which gave him a slightly clearer Force vision but didn't help him find any other Bendu within the gorge.

He had been traveling for what felt like days, maybe even weeks. He didn't need food or water here, but it was still worrisome that he hadn't found any other Bendu in all his searching.

"Perhaps you simply aren't looking in the right places."

Ethnos spun around and saw another figure in a robe. This robe was brown.

"You know where to find more Bendu?"

The figure shook their head.

"That is the wrong question. I pose to you a different one. Why must there be only Bendu within this gorge?"

Ethnos cocked his head, confused.

"You mean there's more than just Bendu here?"

The figure nodded.

"Indeed. This Gorge houses all who are equally close to the light and dark sides of the Force. That does not neccesarily mean that they are Bendu. Remember, only a Sith deals in absolutes."

Ethnos nodded in recognition.

"So, I wasn't brought here to learn from only the Bendu then."

The figure nodded again.

"Your arrival sent a whisper of your purpose through the Force that only those attuned to both sides of the spectrum could hear. I will teach you your next lesson. I will teach you to track down other Force users through the trail they leave in the Force. Sit and we will begin."

Ethnos sat down slowly while the brown robed figure followed suit.

"The Force flows through and connects everything. It surrounds us, it penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together. You already know this. It is possible to use that connection to track down a Force user, as they are much easier to sense. This technique requires you to have a starting point to track from. This can be an object, a location such as a house or temple, or any number of things. Once you have this, you must find the discrepensies in the Force that a Force wielder leaves behind. These discrepensies are impossible to detect with only one side of the Force."

Ethnos listened intently as the Force user continued their lecture.

"You must open yourself to the Force. That means all of it. You must see the whole of the Force, not simply a part of it."

Ethnos nodded and closed his eyes, opening himself to the Force. He could feel the dark side within it, but he did not shy away. He simply stood his ground and maintained the connection. He could feel the two sides of the Force washing over him until he no longer sensed either of them. He could only sense one. The Force. He could see it. His Force vision was breathtaking it was indescribable, it was... Beautiful.

"You have made the next step. Now we will begin training in earnest. Some time ago, a Force user passed through here. Use your new sight to find a trail to follow them."

Ethnos nodded and began searching. His new clarity of Force vision allowed him to see new details that were previously invisible to him. One thing that stood out now was a thin mist that covered the ground. In places it looked thinner until he saw a complete void that moved in a line off into the distance.

"Well done. Now, go on to the next lesson."

Ethnos looked up to see the figure was gone.

He stood up and began followed the path that was laid out to him. Another lesson awaited.

* * *

Darth Vader stood on a balcony, overseeing a small number of teenagers training with practice blades. They were all wearing white training uniforms with numbers stitched onto their right shoulders. Every single one of them had burning yellow eyes. After some time, he left and marched down the polished corridor. A kaminoan walked up beside him.

"Lord Vader, are the students to your liking?"

"That remains to be seen. I want the three best brought to me in three days for a test. Should they fail, our arrangement will undergo... Revision."

The Kaminoan bowed.

"Of course, lord Vader. They will perform most adequetly, I assure you."

"Do not disappoint the Emperor. He is not as forgiving as I am."

* * *

Ethnos had been travelling for a long time. He had met several Force users and learned much of the Force. He learned to control the dark side without using dark emotions from a former Sith from the ancient Sith Empire, learned several dark side techniques, learned shatterpoint from a Jedi master from a similar age, and had even even learned a combat technique from a Gray Jedi that allowed him to slow his perception of time to a crawl. While this didn't allow him to move any faster, it did provide him with ample time to react to danger. In his latest encounter, he had been told to head to the surface through a crack in the gorge to meet his next teacher.

Ethnos clamoured out of the Gorge and looked around. He couldn't see anyone nearby. He drew upon his Force vision and looked for a a trail to follow. He couldn't see anything, but he did feel the pull again. The Force was trying to guide him somewhere. He let his feet carry him where the Force wanted him to go.

He walked for what felt like hours again before he saw someone standing in a circle of large rock spires. They wore a Jedi robe with the hood drawn and had their back turned.

Ethnos approached slowly and stopped several feet away.

"I have not been visited by another Force user in some time. Who are you?"

"My name is Ethnos. I was a Jedi padawan until I was frozen and locked in a state of suspended animation. The Force guided me here to learn from Force users long passed."

The figure turned around.

"I sense light and darkness within you. It has been a long time since one of your kind existed."

"My kind? What do you mean my kind?"

The figure motioned for him to take a seat. Ethnos oblidged.

"That is for you to discover, but it has a great deal to do with your saber trial on Ilum. It is incredibly difficult to forge a crystal and even more difficult when in such inhospitable conditions.

Ethnos was confused.

"How do you know about my trail?"

The figure crossed their hands.

"In this land, a name carries with it a story. Your name told your story to me. You said the Force brought you here to learn from me? Then I shall teach you a technique that few Force wielders ever truly master. Rise."

Ethnos stood up and the figure rose themselves. They reached to their hip and drew a saberstaff. Ethnos became apprehensive.

"I will teach you a Force technique known as _Tutaminis_. Using this technique, a Force user can absorb energy from an attack and use it themselves. The energy can come from Force lightning, blaster bolts, or even a lightsaber blade."

The figure tossed the saberstaff to Ethnos and swept their hands out to the side.

"Allow me to demonstrate. Attack me with a stab."

Ethnos was slow to respond, but he did ignite the blade, which was an icy blue, and spun around, going for a thrust to the gut. The figure their hands together and caught the blade in their palm, pushing back on the blade. Ethnos was shocked. He retreated and deactivated the saberstaff.

"Now, let us begin. I'll be needing my saber back."

Ethnos tossed the weapon back to them.

"To use _Tutaminis,_ one must concentrate the Force into their palms and use it to shuttle the energy from the strike into the Force around them. You will attempt to do as I have done."

The figure ignited the blade and prepared to strike. Ethnos was quite apprehensive.

"Hold on, how did you even get the saber in the first place? And won't getting stabbed just kill me?!"

The figure shook their head.

"It will not kill you, but it will cause great discomfort, so I suggest you try your hardest."

Ethnos gulped and prepared himself. The figure performed an elaborate spin before thrusting. Ethnos barely had time to react, concentrating on creating the barrier that would defend him from the strike. It didn't hold. The blade went straight through both of his hands and through his chest. Ethnos cried out as he felt an intense burning sensation in his hands and chest. The figure withdrew the blade, revealing that there were no wounds on Ethnos' body.

"Again."

Ethnos jumped to attention and attempted again to guard himself against the blade. He had more success this time and stopped the blade for a couple of seconds, but he wasn't able to maintain the barrier before the blade went straight through again, which led to more pain.

"Again."

Ethnos grimaced and braced himself. This was going to be a long lesson.

The training went on for what felt like days until he was able to consistently catch the tip of the blade and push it back. The figure seemed pleased.

"I have nothing left to teach you. Now you must face a final trial."

The figure stood and pointed to a large black mountain.

"At the summit of that mountain is one of the most powerful Force wielders in recorded history. They have a mastery over both aspects of the Force that many could only dream of. You must scale the mountain and face them in combat. Only then will you be ready to return to the galaxy."

Ethnos bowed and began his hike to the blackened stone. The process was much faster and he was soon at the base of the mountain. He could see no path to follow. He would be forced to free climb.

The process was a long and tedious one. There were moments where he had to retrace his steps and find an alternate route. Several times the rock broke and he began falling, only to catch a ledge. After what felt like an eternity, he reached the summit. The mountain levelled off dramatically. Sitting at the center, surrounded by six stone spires was a figure wearing a tattered black hood. They shifted and rose to their feet.

Ethnos stood silently as the figure turned. Underneath the hood was a black and red mask with a thin black visor. They reached into the folds of their cloak and removed two lightsabers. It tossed one to Ethnos, who caught it and ignited the blade, which shimmered green. The figure ignited their own, which was purple and held it straight up in front of it in a duelist's salute. Ethnos copied it and raised the blade above his head, waiting for the figure to make the first move.

The figure spun the blade in its hand and leapt forward, swinging the blade for a powerful downward chop.

* * *

 **And we finish up with chapter 5! So, guesses as to who taught Ethnos Tutanimis and who he's dueling now?**

 **Creativity: Seriously, this is not hard at all boss. People are just going to roll their eyes and call out how not-so-clever you are.**

 **Author: Well, you could have put some better stuff in the B.T.I, so don't get angry at me.**

 **Yeah, it's fairly obvious who they are, but hey.**

 **See ya next time where we pick up the duel!**


	7. Mild Exasperation

**Good day to you all! Now, for those of you who skipped over the Primer chapter, DO NOT SKIP THIS! IT IS IMPORTANT!**

 **I've had a few people asking me when Kingdom Hearts: Beyond Time, Star Wars: Twilight Blade or Ragnarok will be updated or asking me to 'please update *insert sample story here* soon' to which I can only shake my head in exasperation, since it automatically reveals who skipped the IMPORTANT PRIMER and went straight to the main event.**

 **So, I will say this one more time:**

 **Kingdom Hearts: Beyond Time, Star Wars: Twilight Blade and Ragnarok are currently early drafts of stories I will be publishing after my current project (A Very Bad Idea) concludes in March. Which story will take center stage is entirely up the Poll on my profile, where you can vote for one of the three aforementioned stories. Whichever one receives the most votes will determine which story takes focus after A Very Bad Idea concludes.**

 **Also, I have to add this because if I don't it will infuriate me to no end, if you're going to ask questions about a story I will not be updating for a while BY DESIGN, please create an account so I can at least correspond with you, since being unable to directly answer criticism except through chapter updates is very frustrating for me. Now, for that one person who reviewed Ragnarok, I'd hold off judgement on using Razorre instead of Hiccup until later. All three of these stories are part of a big plan I've been working toward for a while, and you might be able to find a few details in one of my previous stories (My first 100K one to be precise)**

 **Are we clear? Good. Now please vote for the story you want more of and check back in February! See ya then!**


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